


The Kingdom of Tarts

by Starshe11



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Gunslinger Girl References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-13 21:55:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16900545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshe11/pseuds/Starshe11
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a land of tarts... | Noctis Lucis Caelum's Birthday 2018





	The Kingdom of Tarts

**Author's Note:**

> \- Based on Gunslinger Girl and the cyborg Angelica.
> 
> Ages: Regis - 38 y/o || Noctis - 8 | 20 y/o 
> 
> Setting: Insomnia General Hospital | Pre-Game and Pre-Brotherhood || Somewhere in Leide | In-Game
> 
> Assumptions/Headcanons:
> 
> \- Noctis had to stay at the hospital for a while upon returning from Tenebrae.
> 
> \- Aulea and Regis were very good friends with Sylva.
> 
> \- The doctor’s name is the basis character’s name + her VA’s name.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Noctis hated hospitals.

They were always so creepy, no matter how nice his private room was.

Maybe it was the smell of antiseptic in the air, or in the number of really sick people who had passed by his doorway.

 

It could also be the fact he had already been here for nine days since coming back to Lucis.

He never hated that snake lady more than he did now.

 

“Okay, little prince.” Dr. Angelica Rial smiled as she pulled away, stethoscope in hand. “Your heartbeat seems perfectly healthy!”

A good sign, Noctis knew. But he didn’t keep his hopes up for his potential release.

 

Because when the doctor said one good thing…

“All I need now is a blood sample from you, and we’re done!” Dr. Rial continued, the smile never leaving her face.

 

…She followed up with something worse.

 

“Alright.” Noctis let out a defeated sigh. He did his best not to tremble as he presented his right arm to the doctor.

Tried to block out the noise in his head, screaming that it was going to hurt like hell, reminding him how Dr. Angie couldn’t handle needles for beans.

Noctis didn’t know what was worse: the needle or the bean reference he’d made.

 

Ugh.

 

Noctis thought he did a pretty good job concealing his fear today, even looking at Dr. Angie as she prepared the syringe.

 

“Noct? Are you alright?”

Just not a good enough job for his dad, apparently.

 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Noctis gave him a surly reply. “It’s just a needle…”

“True, it is quite a small thing.” Regis chuckled. “But it is the smallest things that can catch us off guard.”

Noctis felt his heart beat faster at his father’s words, sending new waves of fear coursing through his small frame. “Not helping, Dad.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Regis ruffled his son’s hair, earning an indignant ‘hey!’ in response. “How about a story to make up for it, then? I guarantee it will help.”

 

“A story?” Noctis cocked an eyebrow at that. “Ones where you and your friends use pointy objects? To make me feel better about getting stabbed by a pointy object now?”

“No, no. Not this time.” Regis smiled. “This is a fairy tale.”

Noctis felt his face flush at the term ‘fairy tale’. He was too old for those, wasn’t he?

But he had to admit, he was curious. Especially since his dad had made it sound good.

 

“…Okay.” Noctis exhaled. “But it’d better be good.”

“Of course it is.” Regis chuckled. “Aulea wrote it especially for you, after all.”

Noctis’ eyes widened at the mention of his mother. She…made him a story?

 

“Once upon a time, there was a land of tarts.” Regis began. “In that land lived a prince who loved tarts. Every day, he ate nothing but tarts.”

Noctis felt his stomach rumble at the mention of the flaky treat. Hopefully he and Ignis would make some when they got back…

“But there was only one type of tart in the whole kingdom: blueberry.” Regis continued, despondent. “The prince ate the same kind of tart every single day…until one night, he had a thought.”

 

Noctis stared at his dad in wide-eyed rapture, barely registering the needle piercing his skin.

“I want to eat another kind of tart.” Regis made his voice a few octaves higher. “I want to try all the types of tarts in the world!”

 

Noctis allowed himself a snort. His dad sounded so weird!

“And so, his journey to try the world’s tarts had begun…” Regis smiled. “Which we’ll save for next time, I suppose.”

“Huh?” Noctis stared at his dad.

“Dr. Rial is done, after all.” Regis chuckled as he gestured to the pediatrician, filled syringe in hand.

 

“How did…?” Noctis’ gaze quickly traveled to his arm, only to see Dr. Angie’s familiar chocobo band-aid stare back at him.

“Great work, Your Majesty!” The woman giggled. “I must admit though, that story was quite intriguing.”

 

“Many thanks, Angelica.” Regis nodded. “Aulea would have been happy to hear that.”

“I’m sure she would’ve been.” Dr. Angie hummed her approval. Turning to Noctis, she said, “Okay then, I’ll head over to the lab now! Here’s hoping, little prince!”

 

Noctis felt like jumping for joy right then and there. Goodbye hospital, home sweet home was calling!

But instead, he mumbled out a quick ‘thanks’ to the doctor as she rushed out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the ride home from the hospital, Noctis found himself boring holes into the side of Regis’ head.

He had to know more. When did his mom write this? How much did she write? Why wait until now to tell him this story?

 

And more importantly, what did the Prince of Tarts do first on his journey?

 

He had to know. Now.

 

“Uh…Dad?” Noctis tentatively reached for his father’s sleeve.

“Hmm?” Regis shot his son a soft smile. “What’s wrong, Noct?”

 

But when Noctis opened his mouth to speak, his questions came out a mess.

“When did the Prince…no, wait.” Noctis murmured. “What did…who did…”

 

“Okay, slow down.” Regis couldn’t hold back his laughter, much to his son’s chagrin. “You want to know when…?”

“When…when Mom wrote this.” Noctis got out. “And why you didn’t tell me about this before.”

 

“Oh…” Regis’ smile faded ever so slightly. “Aulea wrote it while we were on a our honeymoon in…”

“In?” Noctis raised a brow.

“…Tenebrae.” Regis whispered, the events of the previous month still fresh in his mind.

“Oh.” That was all Noctis could muster. Tenebrae…Auntie Sylva…Ravus…

 

Luna…

 

“It was originally Sylva’s idea, actually, after a round of story telling by the fire one night.” Regis swallowed. “She did it for her children, and they enjoyed it quite a bit.”

“Really?” Noctis allowed himself a small smile. So Luna and Ravus both had a similar story too…

“Yes.” Regis visibly relaxed after seeing his son’s smile. “Aulea was so taken with the idea, we started storyboarding that same night!”

 

“You guys must’ve been tired after!” Noctis laughed at the mental image, his father with bags as large as a building underneath his eyes.

“We were…” Regis let out a wistful sigh. “But it was worth it…all for you.”

“Then what happened?” Noctis tilted his head. “If you guys finished it, why didn’t you tell me about it growing up?”

 

“Well…” Regis dragged the word out. “I never said anything about us finishing the entire story.”

 

“What?!” Noctis nearly screeched, wide eyed. “What do you mean you never finished it?”

 

“Aulea had a grand plan in mind for it.” Regis laughed. “The Prince of Tarts would go to the Kingdom of Chiffon first, then the Empire of Meat…join up with the Duke of Spice…there was even supposed to be an arc about the City of Blossoms and its princess, if I recall.”

“Flowers?” Noctis nearly gagged. “They’re for smelling, not eating!”

 

“Oh, but some flowers are edible.” Regis grinned. “There are flowers whose petals can also be used to make syrup for dessert, even.”

“Whoa…gross.” Noctis had to ask Ignis if this was true. “That would’ve been awesome…”

 

At that, the young prince shot up in his seat. Turning to Regis, he exclaimed, “But maybe it still can be!”

 

“Hmm?” Regis sat there looking confused for a few moments before it hit him. “You mean…to continue the story ourselves?”

“Yeah!” Noctis practically yelled. “We can make it like Mom would’ve liked it!”

 

“She wouldn’t want that, though.” Regis smiled. “She’d want us to make it even better than that.”

“True…” Noctis pretended to consider it. Shooting Regis a wide grin, he said, “Then we can’t let her down, can we?”

 

Regis chuckled at that. “We certainly can’t!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“We’re supposed to sing songs around a campfire, right?” Prompto asked, taking in a spoonful of his curry.

“Not if you want it to rain.” Gladiolus shrugged, ignoring the blonde’s indignant sputtering.

 

“We can tell stories, if you’d like the…authentic camping experience.” Ignis replied, making air quotes at the word ‘authentic’.

“Then I’ve got a good one to share.” Noctis leaned forward in his seat. “It’s gonna be pretty long, though.”

 

Prompto whooped. “Does it have hobbits or death stars?”

“Nah, it’s more of a fairy tale.” The prince shot him a lazy grin. “You in?”

 

“Noct, did you mean…that?” Ignis smiled. “Do tell me you and His Majesty added at least a few more arcs.”

“I’m with Iggy.” Gladiolus grinned after taking a swig from his flask. “The last bit I remember was a real cliffhanger.”

 

“Wait…so you’ve all heard this story before?” Prompto’s gaze flickered between the three. Stopping at Noctis, he pointed at his best friend. “And you wrote it? With King Regis?”

“Yup.” The prince smiled as he leaned back in his seat.

 

“So tell me, Prompto…do you like tarts?”


End file.
